New Genre: “Cat Ear Moe”
Simply put, Hisame’s complex was apparently the cat tail that grew from her backside.
Her extreme agitation during our duel was apparently due to her tail being seen, not the transparency of her clothes revealing her nakedness.
Come to think of it, when Hisame noticed I was looking at her, my gaze was focused on her waist.
She usually wraps her tail around her waist so it isn’t visible, so it’s understandable she might have thought she’d been found out then.
In reality, at that moment, I hadn’t even noticed her tail; I was merely thinking, “Hisame’s waist is surprisingly thick.” However, I decided to keep that thought to myself for Hisame’s mental well-being.
Indeed, even recalling the Game, there are quite a few characters with cat ears, but I don’t recall seeing any with tails.
Honestly, in a world where Lizardmen like Reinhardt (complete with tails, of course) exist, I thought there was no need to make a fuss about a mere cat tail. However, due to the presence of Beastmen monsters with cat ears, tails, and paw pads, it seems that having a tail, not just ears, makes one a target of persecution.
By the way, Hisame has no paw pads, just for the record.
According to the legends passed down in the Hisame family, there was a legendary ancestor called the Cat God, and Hisame is a throwback to them.
She mentioned that humans who manifested cat ears and tails generation after generation tended to inherit more of the Cat God’s power, and that Hisame’s abnormal speed and strength were likely due to this.
I couldn’t help but feel it had about as much credibility as someone insisting their ancestor was Oda Nobunaga, but given the chaotic nature of “Nekoneko,” it might actually be true.
At least, according to Hisame:
“My tail is a secret concerning the entire Hisame family.
Since it has been discovered, I must inform my father.”
It seems that family rules and hidden settings really do exist in the Hisame family.
However, this brings a glimmer of hope.
Visiting the Hisame family is now unavoidable, but just as I changed the combat method for the Hisame duel event, I might be able to alter the content of the Hisame family visit event.
As I recall, Hisame’s father’s anger was, in a nutshell, due to a typical rom-com reason: “I won’t give my daughter to the likes of you!”
By adjusting the reason I’m summoned to the dojo, there’s a chance I can avoid that outcome.
I decided to ask a slightly more probing question.
“Is that sort of thing… determined by tradition or something?”
As I asked, Hisame’s cat ears twitched slightly as if in thought, and then tilted as if to say, “Well…”
“…No. However, when I left to travel, my father made me promise them as a condition for my departure.
He told me to bring back anyone who defeats me, or anyone who sees my tail, or… well… anyone I deem worthy.
It’s quite meddlesome of him.”
Hisame shrugged her shoulders, her ears twitching animatedly as if to say, “Honestly, what a good-for-nothing dad!”
“And in my case?”
“Well, yes. You saw my tail, but in your case, you fit all three criteria…”
Before Hisame could conclude, I hastily cut her off.
“Hold on a second!
Please don’t say I defeated Hisame.
That was just a fluke, a strategy that happened to work. If that gets out, they might say, ‘I hear you’re the one who defeated Mitsuki. Would you be so kind as to spar with us?’ and challenge me.”
“Ah, that’s a valid point.
In that case, I’ll just inform Father that ‘a friend accidentally saw my tail’.”
Hisame’s words finally allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief.
(That was a close call…)
If it were revealed that I defeated Hisame, it would lead to a future that perfectly follows the Game’s scenario.
I was relieved to have realized it beforehand when Hisame’s cat ears perked up with a “Huh?”
“But, you talk as if you’ve met him before.
I was surprised by your words just now, as they sounded exactly like something Father would say.”
“Hmm, you think so?
Well, he’s a famous person, you know.”
I brushed it off with a vague reply.
There was no way I could say, “Those were his actual lines.”
However, for now, the plan was decided.
I would report the tail incident to Hisame’s father along with Hisame and resolve the event flag.
If things go well, I might be able to avoid the life-or-death situation from the Game. I have no intention of being recognized by Hisame’s father.
If necessary, I’ll get Hisame’s cooperation to somehow survive the fatal event.
With that in mind, the sooner the better.
“Well then, let’s get out of here for now.”
I urged Hisame along and started walking, but
“…Please wait.”
As if replaying my previous interaction with Ringo, Hisame didn’t follow me.
When I turned around, Hisame’s sharp expression hadn’t changed, but
“This is just between us, but I’m not very good with heights.”
Upon closer inspection, both of Hisame’s legs were trembling slightly, and her cat ears were plastered flat against her head as if saying, “I can’t take it anymore!”
I wondered how she had managed to stand on the edge of a cliff without showing it, but it seemed she had been enduring her fear until now.
“If you’re afraid of heights, why did you come to a place like this in the first place?”
“I couldn’t muster the courage to visit you easily, so I pushed myself to come.
However, I was so preoccupied with my tail earlier that I didn’t pay much attention to it…”
She said something like a masochistic athlete. This girl is really something else.
“So, what should I do?”
“…Your shoulder.”
Responding to her short request, I silently offered my shoulder to Hisame.
“…Thanks.”
She replied with a grumpy tone, but her cat ears twitched as if asking, “Are you sure? Are you sure?”
Despite appearing aloof, she’s surprisingly easily flustered.
To make any progress, I wrapped my arm around Hisame’s shoulder without a word.
“Ah…”
I was about to utter a complaint, but the moment I touched her shoulder, Hisame’s cat ears shot up and then drooped as if she were tense. Somehow, it felt like she was saying “I’m sorry,” so I swallowed my disgruntled words.
Then, with a speed uncharacteristic of her and a newfound modesty, we moved away from the cliff edge.
After walking halfway, we saw Ringo waiting for us, holding a stuffed bear in her arms. Hisame then spoke.
“Also, if we’re going to my house, I have a proposal…”
I didn’t want to show up unannounced and cause misunderstandings, or have the Game’s events unfold as they were.
We decided to send a messenger to the dojo first with a letter explaining the situation. We deliberately delayed our departure and headed towards the dojo at a leisurely pace.
The incident with her tail had somewhat improved our relationship.
However, it only meant we were no longer hostile; her attitude remained the same.
Her overt display of emotion was apparently limited to the duel. Now, she maintained her usual dignified and stoic demeanor, walking as if nothing had happened, her tail hidden.
Well, if I had to point out any change,
“Sorry, Mitsuki. Could you buy that for me this time?”
It was probably just the way she called my name.
When we returned from the cape, she made a suggestion: Hisame was a surname, not a given name, and naturally, all of Mitsuki’s family members shared the surname Hisame.
She explained that if we were going to the dojo, it would be complicated to use that name, so she proposed using “Mitsuki.”
At first, I was taken aback by the unfamiliar way of addressing her. However, Hisame felt more like a given name than a surname, so after a few uses, I realized there wasn’t much of a difference.
Mitsuki didn’t seem to have much resistance to being called by her given name. While she twitched her cat ears each time she was addressed by name for the first few times,
“Can’t you even buy things yourself?
…I suppose I have no choice.”
Now, she was accustomed to it, accepting it with a response like this.
Moreover, there was the significant fact that there were reasons to use her given name.
While the expressionless Mitsuki and Ringo couldn’t be described as friendly by any stretch, they were better than me, who could only get information about Hisame’s family no matter what I asked.
Using the extra time, I asked Mitsuki to buy some hidden gems from the shops for me, killing time. I didn’t get the elemental weapons I had somewhat hoped for, but managing to acquire another stamina-boosting ring from the accessory shop was a good outcome.
With this, by switching my accessories to stamina-enhancing gear and using auxiliary magic, my stamina would temporarily reach 200% of its initial value. While enhancing dark-elemental attacks was tempting, boosting stamina, which is closely related to skills and combos, opened up exciting possibilities. I immediately put on the ring.
As the shop incident showed, walking through town was still dominated by talk of the Hisame Dojo. However, Ringo didn’t seem particularly bothered, and Mitsuki, on the other hand, was
“It seems the dojo is well-recognized by the townsfolk.”
She said proudly. Her cat ears on top of her head seemed to proudly express, “Aren’t we amazing?”
Even within the game world of “Nekoneko,” I secretly wished I had met some people with more sensible personalities.
“It feels rather strange, walking beside you like this.”
Even Mitsuki didn’t always rush to her destination at full speed, it seemed.
After killing time in town, the three of us strolled leisurely westward.
The monsters in this area were no longer a threat to us.
As soon as they appeared, Mitsuki would quickly dispatch them, or Ringo would blast them away with lightning.
There was no sense of danger at all; I had no role to play.
Therefore, I had time to slowly ask Mitsuki about the dojo and her father.
She explained that the training at the dojo was quite intense and that her father, the dojo master, had a strict personality but never treated anyone beyond his inner circle unfairly.
The caveat “beyond his inner circle” lingered with a hint of unease, but being able to hear that much was somewhat reassuring.
I also took the opportunity to ask,
“Regarding that matter, I won’t be killed to ensure secrecy, will I?”
Mitsuki simply laughed it off.
“Of course not.”
Well, it made sense.
While her daughter resembling a monster might be a bad rumor, it wasn’t a secret worth killing for.
In fact, resorting to murder for secrecy would likely cause a bigger problem if it ever got out.
(But then again, it *is* “Nekoneko”…)
Perhaps I shouldn’t expect too much logical consistency in that regard.
Still, in any case, the journey to the dojo was relatively enjoyable, without any animosity forming between Mitsuki and me.
For the most part, I conversed with Mitsuki during the journey. Ringo, having ventured out, seemed to have her intellectual curiosity stimulated. When Mitsuki and I finished our conversation, she would gently tug my sleeve and ask,
“…What was that?”
Or,
“…What do you call that enemy we just fought?”
I thought she hadn’t been particularly interested in such things before, but perhaps Ringo was gradually becoming interested in various things as she gained experience.
I considered this a purely positive development. By utilizing my game knowledge, I answered every question she asked accurately. Although Ringo’s expression remained impassive, she seemed genuinely pleased.
It was unusual for “Nekoneko,” which is known for constant turmoil, but we arrived at the dojo surprisingly smoothly without any incidents.
“Welcome back, Young Mistress! And to you, our honored guests!”
It seemed there were no communication issues, as a disciple or someone of that ilk greeted us at the entrance of the dojo.
Everything was going too smoothly, which was almost unsettling. However, it was a different story for Mitsuki.
“Please stop calling me Young Mistress. I have already left home.”
Mitsuki said coolly, scowling with distaste, but her retracted cat ears seemed to protest, “It’s embarrassing to be called Young Mistress!”
Putting aside the truth of that for the moment, the disciple who came to greet us politely invited us onto the grounds.
“Even so, you are still the Young Mistress.
Ah, and Young Mistress, and our honored guests.
We have prepared a modest welcome.
This way, please.”
“A welcome?”
Mitsuki followed obediently, a puzzled expression on her face.
In the Game’s Hisame event, we were supposed to fight immediately upon arrival. However, the disciple was speaking of something entirely different from the Game’s event.
Perhaps I should consider the flow of events to have changed. I followed them, tilting my head in confusion.
“As you likely have luggage, we will guide you to your rooms first.
Ah, apologies, but the rooms are separated by gender, so Soma-sama, this way please.”
At this point, I was separated from Mitsuki and Ringo.
Ringo looked at me with apparent apprehension, but I conveyed “I’m fine” with just my expression. She reluctantly followed her guide.
“This way.”
The disciple who had initially greeted us led me deeper inside. I walked through familiar scenery.
“It’s the first time the Young Mistress has brought friends, so everyone is enthusiastically preparing a welcome.”
“…Is that so?”
I muttered under my breath, following the person.
We arrived at the largest building here.
In other words, it was a colossal dojo.
“Please, enter.”
Urged on, I stepped into the dojo.
The moment I did,
“—Welcome to the Hisame Dojo!!!”
A powerful chorus of voices echoed in the dojo and against my eardrums.
I looked around the room and realized.
It was indeed the grandest welcome imaginable.
Yes, it wasn’t just a simple welcome.
Facing me were the beaming smiles of Hisame’s father, the dojo master, and ten other burly men.
And then,
“We welcome you, Soma-kun!!”
Ten reverse-bladed swords, gleaming with a dangerous, sharp light.
Seeing this, I covered my face with my hands as if defeated and mentally chanted,
” ‘Stamina Up.’ ”
Simultaneously, the magic I had completed chanting before entering the room activated, and I felt vitality surge through my body.
…Well, what can I say?
They might think they’ve prepared an unexpectedly grand welcome, but how many times do you think I’ve challenged this event?
There are no save points in the Hisame family visit event; if I die midway, I have no choice but to start over from the beginning.
I am probably the most knowledgeable person in the world about the “welcome” scenario involving these reverse-bladed swords.
Although the introduction differed from the Game, the moment I saw where I was led, or rather, from the moment I was separated from Mitsuki and Ringo and realized I was heading towards the dojo, I had anticipated this outcome.
Furthermore, I had perfectly predicted the arrangement of Hisame’s father and disciples within the dojo, and their exact positions, even before setting foot inside.
(I didn’t want to gamble like this, but I have no choice.)
So, I quietly steeled myself.
“It was written in the letter.
You are Mitsuki’s friend, I hear.
I cannot believe my daughter would befriend someone without strength.
Show me your skills…”
I located the positions of the ten “targets” fanned out before me.
“You should step back.”
“Huh?!”
Interrupting Hisame’s father’s speech, I drew out the Fire of Sh.
…It’s okay.
With my current stamina-focused equipment, I should just barely be able to use it.
“Against such odds, there is no hope of victory.
Forgive my interruption, but I will strike first.”
It is one of the most difficult weapon skills to master, boasting an enormous stamina consumption that makes it impossible to use in its initial state, yet it is said to be the most powerful among all weapon skills. The ultimate and strongest skill of the Odachi, “Midarezakura.”
However, all skilled “Nekoneko” players refer to this technique by another name.
That name is—
“—Secret Technique, ‘Setsuna Samidare’!!”
